Protective cover



Dec. 5, 1939. s. M. GRISWOLD PROTECTIVE COVER 7 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 7 Filed NOV. 24, 1937 AWE/Wm 1&5

fies. 5, 1939. s. GREsWQLD PROTECTIVE COVER Filed Nov. 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 5, 1939 Z,lt2,256

FATE

PROTECTIVE COVER Stanley M. Griswold, Boston, Mass, assignor to B. B. Chemical 00., Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 24, -193'7, Serial No. 176,273

Claims.

This invention relates to a cover for protecting shoes during their manufacture, and to a method of applying a cover to a lasted shoe.

In the manufacture of shoes, particularly during those operations which take place after the shoe has been lasted, the display surfaces of the uppers are liable to be abraded or soiled, especially if the uppers are light-colored or made of delicate fabric or of a leather such as suede. Various kinds of covers have been proposed, among others covers of flexible material such as rubber. Such covers are expensive, and the general object or" the present invention is to reduce the ultimate cost of such covers to shoe manufacturers by providing covers which may be used several times.

A shoe cover which will effectively protect the upper of the shoe from being soiled by the ink or stain which is applied to the edge of the outsole should extend over upon the lasting allowance of the shoe with its edge close to but outside of the line of stitches by which the outsole is subsequently attached. The lower edge of the cover must therefore be very accurately located. If it is not located far enough over upon the lasting allowance of the shoe, ink or stain will reach the display surface of the upper. If it is located too far upon the lasting allowance, the cover will be caught in the stitches by which the outsole is attached and will be torn and thus rendered unfit for further use when it is finally removed from the shoe.

The present invention provides an elastic cover and a method of applying it to a lasted shoe whereby the lower edge of the cover may be very accurately located close to but outside of the line of sole-attaching stitches and may be held in that position during the subsequent manufacturing operations, said cover being readily removable substantially intact after it has served its purpose. The illustrated cover comprises a rubber body portion having an open bottom along the edge of the forepart of which is attached a strip of reinforcing material which is capable of stretching lengthwise and when so stretched will curl widthwise over the lasting allowance of the shoe. The lower edge of such a cover may be very accurately located in the desired position and while held temporarily in this position may be fastened in place by a few narrow readily breakable straps which are attached at their ends to the rubber body portion of the cover and extend across the bottom of the shoe. The shank portion of the upper of the shoe may be protected by two small pieces of fabric which are caused to overlie and. adhere to the shank portions or" the cover and the shoe and may be accurately located. When the cover has served its purpose and must be removed, only the narrow straps need be broken or torn.

The cover is made by dipping a form in a solution or dispersion of an elastic substance, for example in rubber latex, and drying or vulcanizing the latex whereby an elastic envelop-e results. In order to facilitate the manufacture of an elastic envelope such as a shoe cover which has openings in it the form has sharp edges where the openings are to be located so that, when the envelope is otherwise complete, it may be readily torn apart along the weak localities which were formed on the sharp edges.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Fig. l is a perspective of a lasted shoe in process of having a cover applied to it;

Fig. 2 is a detail in elevation of the last pin and the spring member associated with it to pre vent the lasted shoe from turning on the pin;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a form on which the elastic cover is made; i

Fig. 4 is a plan of the form looking down upon it as viewed in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a cover on the form with a strip of fabric attached along the upper edge of the rubber portion of the cover;

Fig. '7 is a perspective of a small length of the reenforcing strip which has been stretched lengthwise; and

Fig. 8 is a plan of the shank protectors.

Although the lasted shoe, the cover and the form have been shown bottom side up in the figures, their various parts will be referred to in the specification and claims as though the articles were right side up. The cover may be made (Figs. 3 to 6) by dipping a flat form 9 in rubber latex and then drying or vulcanizing the latex. This form has a projecting portion i which may be grasped during the dipping operation; and the edges 13, I5 of the form are sharp so that a comparatively thin weak film of rubber will be formed at these localities. The form is clipped bottom side up in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 6. Before it is dipped, there is lightly attached by a cement around the bottom of the forepart oi the form a reenforcing strip ll of fabric having on that side which contacts with the form a light coating of rubber which renders the strip impervious to liquids. The form is now the line VV of dipped in latex to the level of the line it after which the latex is dried or vulcanized, and a rubber film or envelope 20 results which encloses the form, except along the bottom of the forepart from the point A to the point B. In this locality there is an opening in the rubber body portion along the edge of which the reenforcing strip 1! is attached with the strip projecting for about one-half its width beyond the edge of the opening.

A band of sheet material 21 such as fabric is attached along the upper edge of the body portion 25 after which the cover is stripped from the form and torn open along the lines of the sharp edges l3, 115. The band 2! may be of fabric and may be attached by cement along the upper edge of the rubber envelope 20, its ends being fastened together for example by staples 23. For a purpose which will presently be described, a constricted locality is formed in the rear end of the band, for example by cutting a notch 25 in the rear end and adhesively fastening to the band a narrow strip of tape 2'! which extends over the bottom of the notch. The elastic cover member is now complete and ready to be stretched over a lasted shoe and fastened in place in the manner indicated in Fig. l.

The purpose of the fabric reenforcing strip I! is the same as that of the paper reenforcing strip of the shoe cover disclosed and claimed in my prior application, Serial No. 88,167, filed June 30, 1936, namely to provide along the lower margin of the upper of the shoe a member which has a smaller coefiicient of friction with metal than has rubber, is resistant to abrasion or cutting by the various guards and guides which traverse it and is impermeable to inks and stains. A reenforcing strip of this kind, as explained in my prior application, should be capable of stretching lengthwise with the rubber body portion. The present strip I! is made of a piece of fabric cut on a bias so that it will so stretch. It is also so made that when stretched lengthwise its projecting margin will curl widthwise toward or over the opening in the bottom of the forepart of the cover, that is toward that side which is not attached to the rubber body portion. The reason for employing a reenforcing strip which has the quality of curling widthwise in this manner when it is stretched lengthwise will be apparent when the manner of applying the cover to the shoe is considered.

Referring now to Fig. 1 wherein is shown an apparatus which may conveniently be employed in applying a cover to a lasted shoe, this apparatus comprises a base 28 which may be bolted to a bench, said base carrying a last pin 29 which is inclined upward toward, the operator and is received in the last pin hole of the last 3! so that the shoe extends away from the operator with its toe end pointed upward. To prevent the last from turning on the last pin 29, one side of the cone of the last is engaged by a spring plate 33 carried by a small bracket 35 the lower end of which is fastened to a boss 128 on the base 28 by which the last pin is held. A yoke 31 has arms in the form of small rods 39 to receive respectively loops at the ends of a strap M, the loops permitting the position of the strap on the rods 39 to be varied as may be desired. The stem of the yoke 31 is pivoted at 43 to an upright which is integral with the base 28 and has a rearward extension to which is attached one end of a tension spring 45, the other end of which is attached to the base. This spring urges the yoke 31 at all times to swing up into a position well above the lasted shoe; but the yoke may be pulled down into the position shown at any time by depressing a treadle H which is connected to the yoke 3'! by a treadle rod 49.

Assuming that the yoke is in raised position and that a lasted shoe has been placed upon the last pin 29, the operator places the toe end of the cover over the toe end of the shoe. He then grasps with one hand the edge of the cover at about the point C near one end of the strip II, and with the other hand he grasps the cover near the other end of the strip l1. With the two ends of the strip held considerably apart he pulls upon them toward himself and at the same time swings the two ends toward each other until they occupy the positions shown. The inner margin of the strip I! should finally lie over upon the lasting allowance with its edge 53 close to but outside of the line of stitches by which the outsole will subsequently be attached. The illustrated shoe has been lasted by means of a staple lasting machine, the staples being indicated at 55, and

the line of stitches referred to above will lie outside the rows of staples. The reenforcing strip is so made that when it is stretched lengthwise its lower margin curls widthwise over the bottom of the shoe and lies upon the lasting allowance. Because of these properties possessed by the strip I! of stretching lengthwise and of curling over upon the bottom of the shoe when so stretched, the lower edge 53 of the strip may be located with extreme accuracy by applying the forepart of the cover in the manner described. Once the forepart has been properly located, the treadle is depressed to bring the strap 4| down into the position shown, which is in the vicinity of the break of the last, so as to hold the forepart of the cover temporarily in place, after which the forepart of the cover is fastened firmly in place by narrow readily breakable straps, for example by two straps 57, 59 of paper which extend over the bottom of the shoe, and the ends of which are attached by cement to the rubber portion of the cover, one end on one side of the shoe and the other end on the other side. The treadle is now released, and the rear part of the cover is stretched into place. Owing to the shape of this rear part, the lower edge of the heel end of the cover may be located at the level of the bottom of the heel end of the shoe, but the shank portion of the cover is below the level of the bottom of the shoe as indicated by the dotted line 5!. The rear part of the cover is held in place by applying across the. shank portion of the cover and shoe one or more straps, such as the strap 63, which is like the straps 51, 59. The shank portion of the shoe is still exposed. In order to protect this portion, protecting means made of flexible material such as fabric is applied at the shank. As illustrated two protectors 65 of the outlines shown in Fig. 8 and made of a light-weight rubberized fabric are attached by cement as shown in Fig. 1 so as to overlie and adhere to the shank portions both of the shoe and of the rubber 20, the inner edges of said protectors lying upon the overlasted margin close to but outside the line of stitches by which the sole is subsequently attached. The shoe shown is a ladys shoe to which a wood heel is to be attached, and since such heels are finished before they are attached and the margin of the heel end of the outsole is cut away to provide a heel seat there is no need of a reenforcing strip such as I! for the rubber body of the cover around the heel end. When the cover is finally in place the fabric band 2i covers the upper portion of the shoe and the upper portion or cone of the last, and the constricted locality caused by making a notch in the rear end of the band and attaching the small piece of tape 2? lies just above the upper edge 62 of the upper of the shoe. When, during the manufacture of a, shoe of this type the last is removed, the shoe is held by a last pin similar to the last pin 25; and the operator grasps the heel end of the shoe and lifts it up to withdraw it from the heel end of the last. In case the shoe has a cover, the heel end of the cover may be displaced with respect to the heel end of the shoe. The purpose of the constricted locality in the band 2! is to prevent such an undesirable occurrence.

It has been explained that the reenforcing strip I l is made of fabric cut on a bias and has a light coat of a flexible waterproof substance such as rubber on that side of it which is not attached to the rubber body portion 29 of the cover. When such a strip of fabric is stretched lengthwise it will curl widthwise away from the coated side.

that is the strip will be concavo-convex in cross section with the coating on the convex side. When such a strip is attached to the forepart of the rubber body portion of a shoe cover and the strip and forepart are stretched about the forepart of the shoe in the manner which has been described above, the projecting edge of the strip will curl outward away from the lasting allowance of the shoe. In order to make the strip curl in the opposite direction it may be coated on the side opposite to that which carries the flexible substance with a less flexible substance. In the illustrated embodiment the projecting portion of the strip carries on the side opposite to the rubber coated side a coating of sodium silicate. Referring to Fig. 7 the strip is coated on the face indicated at 530 with rubber, and the upper portion of the strip (considered in the position shown in Fig. 7) is coated on the opposite side with sodium silicate as indicated at 2%. The strip and a part of the rubber body portion 26 are shown in that figure as being held stretched lengthwise of the strip; and it will be noted that the upper or projecting part of the strip has curled widthwise toward the rubber coated side, that is over the lasting allowance of the shoe as shown in Fig. The sodium silicate is applied in the form of a thin water solution which is allowed to dry. After the strip has been coated with the less flexible substance, for example water glass or glue, and allowed to dry, it is preferable to stretch the fabric somewhat to break up the coating of the less flexible or more brittle substance.

The explanation of this phenomenon of widthwise curling is probably as follows. When a strip of fabric cut on a bias is stretched lengthwise, the square meshes are elongated into diamond shape with their long dimensions. extending lengthwise of the strip; and this elongating of the square meshes in the direction stated causes contraction of the meshes widthwise of the strip. If new one side of the strip carries a coating of some substance, for example a coating of a cornparatively flexible substance such as rubber, more resistance is offered on that side of the strip to the contraction of the square meshes widthwise of the strip, and the edges of the strip curl Widthwise away from the coated side. If now the other face of the strip is coated with a less flexible substance, more resistance is offered to widthwise contraction of the meshes on that side than .is oifered on the other side, and the edges of the strip curl toward said other side.

When the cover has served its purpose and must be removed it can be readily removed without tearing since only the narorw straps need be broken, the removed cover being suitable for use again; and even if the edges of the shank protectors have not been carefully located and their edges are hence caught more or less by the stitches which attach the outsole, these may be pulled out or out without damaging the elastic cover.

The present application and my prior application identified above disclose certain common subject-matter, and all subject-matter common to the two applications is not claimed herein but is claimed in said prior application.

Having thus described my application what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1.,An elastic cover adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, said cover having an open bottom at the forepart, the edge along this opening, when the cover is in place, lying upon the lasting allowance of the shoe close to but outside the line of stitches by which the outsole is to be attached, edge being held in place by narrow straps of inelastic readily breakable material placed upon the bottom of the shoe and fastened to the outer surface of the cover whereby the cover, after it has served its purpose, may be removed intact.

2. A protective cover adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, said cover including a rubber body portion having an open bottom and having attached along the edge of this opening a reenforcing strip the edge of which, when the readily breakable material extending over the bottom of the shoe with their opposite .ends lying over and attached to the cover whereby the cover, after it has served its purpose, may be removed intact.

3. An elastic. protective cover adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, said cover including a rubber body portion having attached along its lower edge a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise, said strip consisting of a piece of fabric cut on a bias and impermeable to liquids.

4. An elastic protective cover adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, said cover including a rubber body portion having attached along and extending above the edges of the opening in its top a band of flexible material adapted to cover the upper portion of the shoe and a portion at least of the cone of the last. I v

5. An elastic protective cover adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, said cover including a rubber body portion having attached along and extending above the edge of the opening in its top a band of flexible material adapted to cover the upper portion of the shoe'and a portion at least of the coneof the last, said band having constricted portion at its heel end adapted to engage the upper edge of the heel end of the upper of the shoe and to resist movement of the heel end of the cover with respect to the shoe when the covered shoe is being removed from 3 the last.

6. A protective cover for a shoe, said cover comprising an elastic member including a rubber body portion having attached to the lower edge of its forepart a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise,said member being adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, and shank protecting means of flexible material adapted to be attached to the shank portion of the elastic member and to the shank portion of the shoe.

7. A protective cover for a shoe, said cover comprising an elastic member including a rubber body portion having attached to the lower edge of its forepart a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise, said member being adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, and two shank protectors of flexible material adapted to be attached to the shank portion of the elastic member and to the shank portion of the shoe.

8. An elastic protective cover adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, said cover including a rubber body portion having attached to its lower margin a reenforcing strip which is capable of stretching lengthwise and when so stretched will curl inward over the lasting allowance of the shoe.

9. An elastic protective cover adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, said cover including a rubber body portion having attached to its lower margin a reenforcing strip impermeable to liquid which is capable of stretching lengthwise and when so stretched will curl inward over the lasting allowance of the shoe.

10. A protective cover for a lasted shoe comprising a member including a rubber body portion having attached to the lower edge of its forepart a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise and adapted to extend over upon the lasting allowance of the forepart of the shoe, the shank portion of said member being shaped so as not to extend over upon the shank portion of the lasting allowance, protective means of flexible material adapted to overlie the shank portions of the member and of the lasting allowance, and a band of flexible material attached along and extending above the edge of the opening in the top of the rubber body portion and adapted to cover the upper portion of the shoe.

11. A protective cover for a lasted shoe comprising a member including a rubber body portion having attached to the lower edge of its forepart a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise and adapted to extend over upon the lasting allowance of the forepart of the shoe, the shank portion of said member being shaped so as not to extend over upon the shank portion of the lasting allowance, and protective means of flexible material adapted to overlie the shank portions of the member and of the lasting allowance.

12. A protective cover for a lasted shoe comprising a member including a rubber body portion having attached to the lower edge of its forepart a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise and adapted when so stretched to curl widthwise so as to extend over upon the lasting allowance of the forepart of the shoe, the shank portion of said member being shaped so 'as not to extend over upon the shank portion of the lasting allowance, and protective means of flexible material adapted to overlie the shank portions of the member and of the lasting allowance.

13. A protective cover for a lasted shoe comprising a rubber body portion having attached to the lower edge of its forepart a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise, said cover being adapted to be held firmly in place by narrow straps of readily breakable material extending across the bottom of the shoe and attached at their opposite ends to the rubber body portion, and

by shank protectors of flexible material located one at each side of the shank portion of the shoe and attached to the cover and to the lasting allowance of the shoe.

14. A protective cover for a lasted shoe comprising a rubber body portion having attached to the lower edge of its forepart a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise, said cover being adapted to be held firmly in place by narrow straps of readily breakable material extending across the bottom of the shoe and attached at their opposite ends to the cover, and by protective means adapted to overlie parts of the shank portion of the cover and of the lasting allowance of the shoe.

15. A lasted shoe having stretched over it a protective cover comprising a rubber body portion having attached to its lower margin a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise and of extending over upon the lasting allowance, a

plurality of narrow cross straps of readily breakable material each attached at its opposite ends to the cover, and pieces of flexible material located one at each side of the shank portion of the shoe and attached to the cover and to the lasting allowance.

16. A lasted shoe having stretched over it a protective cover comprising a rubber body portion having attached to its lower margin a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise and of extending over upon the lasting allowance, a plurality of narrow cross straps of readily breakable material each attached at its opposite ends to the cover, and flexible sheet material attached to the shank part of the rubber portion the display portion of the upper of the shoe with the lower margin of the strip curled over upon the lasting allowance, temporarily holding the forepart of the cover in place by pressure applied to the cover in the vicinity of the break of the last,

stretching the rear part of the cover about the rear part of the shoe and fastening the cover in place by means of readily breakable straps.

18. The method of covering a. lasted shoe to protect it during manufacture which comprises providing an elastic cover having an open bottom along the lower edge of the forepart of which is attached a reenforcing strip capable of stretching lengthwise and of curling widthwise over the opening when so stretched, stretching the forepart of the cover over the forepart of the shoe whereby the strip lies upon the lower margin of the display portion of the upper of the shoe with the lower margin of the strip curled over upon the lasting allowance, temporarily holding the forepart of the cover in place by pressure applied to the cover in the vicinity of the break of the last, stretching the rear part of the cover about the rear part of the shoe, fastening the cover in place by means of readily breakable straps, and applying over the shank portions of the cover and of the shoe a protecting means of flexible material.

19. A protective cover adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, said cover including a rubber body portion having an open bottom along the lower edge of the forepart of which is attached a reinforcing strip capable of stretching 1ength wise and of curling widthwise over the opening when so stretched, said reinforcing strip when the cover is in place lying upon the lower margin of the display portion of the upper of the shoe with the lower margin of the strip curled over 10 upon the lasting allowance, and narrow straps of readily breakable material adapted to fasten the cover in place.

20. A protective cover adapted to be stretched over a lasted shoe, said cover including an elastic body portion having attached to its lower margin a reinforcing strip comprising a base of fabric cut on a bias and coated on one side with a flexible Waterproof substance and on the other wide with a less flexible substance.

STANLEY M. GRISWOLD. 

